Why Mentor?
“Young people will find a way to meet their needs… even if this means moving in directions that are not approved of by family and/or community. Whether or how young people meet their needs depends in large part on the strength and direction of influences and opportunities in their lives”. By Innocentia Pearly Sibanyoni
Youth mentoring is one of the most under utilised tools in South Africa for the successful development of intelligent and prosperous young men and women. Young people today need multi-dimensional care in order to successfully mature into well rounded individuals. Unfortunately, a majority of youth today are not receiving the attention they need in order to reach their full potential. Without proper guidance, these young people are participating in high levels of risk behaviours, such as substance abuse and violence. When faced with difficult situations, it is easy for a young person to make poor choices. A youth mentor provides an extra outlet for these adolescents when a parent, sibling, or friend is not available, or even able to make the best choices for the young person. Youth mentoring is needed now more than ever. The multi-face ted needs of a young person are almost more complex than that of an adult. At such a young age teenagers and pre-teens are trying to understand right from wrong, learning how to take care of themselves, discovering who they are and establishing values.
I say, Changes in families, work demands, and communities have left many young people without the adult supports that were available just a few decades ago. Both natural and assigned mentors have the potential to modify, or even reverse, the negative developmental trajectory of at-risk youth set in place by these changes. Mentoring programs are not a substitute for a caring family, community support, or a concerted youth policy agenda. With this in mind, we should ensure that Mentorship programs are adequately implemented and evaluated, while broadening our efforts to strengthen the caring capacity of adolescents’ families, schools, and communities.
“Therefore I ask all successful organisations to create a culture where acquisition development,implementation and transfer of skills and knowledge are highly valued. This type of Culture cannot exist where the practise of Mentoring is not a top down initiative”